An Attitude of Gratitude: How Being Thankful Leads to More Happiness & Success

​Thanksgiving kicks off the season for counting our blessings.  Studies show gratitude is critical to our happiness and success. Thoughts – both positive and negative - trigger physiological changes in our body which in turn affect emotional and physical health. Practicing gratitude, can improve your your quality of life. 

​"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” -- Albert Einstein

Scientific Benefits of Gratittude

There’s an abundance of scientific evidence[i] on gratitude.  I’ve consolidated them below:

• New research suggests that practicing daily gratitude may help prevent coronary artery disease.
• Thankful people report lower levels of stress and depression.
• People who tracked their gratitude on a weekly basis were more optimistic about their lives compared to people who recorded weekly stressors. They also exercised more regularly, felt better physically, and looked forward to the upcoming week versus the other control group.
• Daily discussion about gratitude results in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness, energy, and sleep duration and quality.
• People who think, talk, or write about daily gratitude are more likely to help others.

[i] https://www.umassd.edu/counseling/forparents/reccomendedreadings/theimportanceofgratitude/

​4 Easy Ways to Practice Gratitude ​Daily

1. Write down what you are grateful for. It can be a person, a thing, an experience, a memory, something you felt or something that happened to you.
2. Express yourself verbally. Talk about being grateful to a friend, family member or partner on a daily basis.  Consider replacing “How was your day” with “What was the best part of your day?” It can help sets the tone by promoting positive experiences and connections.
3. Don’t sweat the small stuff: Instead of talking about your daily stressors, focus on the positive. Not only will it helps make what ever was bothering you seem less significant, it can help you feel happier with the person you are talking with. Basically, gratitude begets gratitude.
4. Be mindful. Appreciate the small things in life.  Maybe you notice the birds singing in the morning, or the warm sunlight in the morning, or that someone said something nice to you. Not taking things for granted and being grateful for them can help increase feelings of happiness.  

My Daily Gratitude Ritual

I have a daily ritual in which I count my lucky stars. Every morning I call my mother and we talk while I drink my morning coffee. My mother is happy to be alive. She is truly grateful for her time on earth. At 88-years, she is VITAL and AMAZING! This is the best lesson a mother can give to a daughter. (Thanks Mom!)

What's your daily gratitude practice? I'd love to share what other people do in a future blog post. If you want to be featured, please  email me here.  The world needs more positivity and light!

I hope this article serves you well.
Happy Thanksgiving!